Martinez vs. Serrano: More Scale Drama For Telemundo

The second four-fight season of Boxeo Telemundo for 2013 still has 24 hours to go before its conclusion, but has already proven to be the most troubling of the year.

Two weeks following a card tainted with fallouts and a major shake-up in the main event, the series’ summer finale takes another headlining hit.

The show will still go on as planned at the A La Carte Events Pavilion in Tampa. The main event will remain intact, as local favorite Charlie Serrano takes on Aalan Martinez in a billed regional featherweight title fight.

The belt is now only at stake for Serrano, due to his opponent’s failure to make weight. Martinez will be fighting for at least 10% less than his contracted amount and also without the opportunity to win a title. The rebounding prospect was five pounds over the contracted limit for Friday’s main event, coming in at 131 lb – more than a full division heavy.

Serrano came in at 125 lb, one pound below the featherweight limit.

The incident brings back grim memories of what occurred just two weeks ago in Kissimmee, when Joan Guzman nearly ruined the evening by once again disgracing himself at the scales. The former two-division champ was more than eight pounds over his contracted limit for a planned main event against Vicente Mosquera, who originally agreed to go on with the fight.

Guzman was instead shown the exit, however, when the sanctioning body whose 140 lb. belt was to be at stake, expressed concern over a fight taking place between two fighters more than a full division apart in weight.

Martinez’ flop at the scales provides the same dilemma, but no such word of cancellation has yet been enforced or even suggested.

Serrano (15-3-1, 4KO) makes his 17th appearance at the A La Carte, but just his first of 2013. The Tampa native last fought 10 months ago. Martinez has been more active, but not quite as lucky – his last fight produced disastrous in-ring results, suffering four knockdowns en route to a sixth round knockout against Orlando Cruz this past March, in a bout that also aired on Telemundo.

Friday’s show will air live on Telemundo at 11:35PM ET. The mid-season finale marks the eighth show of the year, which now airs in three separate blocks of four consecutive shows. Each set boasts two fights from Mexico and two from Central Florida.